Titanium Rails: Harsher at Sit Bones areas ?

Raffles
Raffles Posts: 1,137
edited December 2012 in Road general
In all my time road cycling, the one and only saddle I can use for hours and get off the bike without walking like a ramrod is a Selle San Marco Rolls. My question is, ive got two of them , one with titanium rails and one with steel rails. I did a comparison today and swapped the saddles about. What I found was that I thought the titanium railed version was a lot harder and firmer at the sitbones area than the steel one. When I climbed onboard the steel railed one after riding the titanium I could literally see my bum smiling. It was as if the steel one just had more "give" and felt softer to ride upon.

Am I right here in my thinking and does a saddle with steel rails yield a more forgiving ride than a titanium railed type ?
2012 Cannondale CAAD 8 105

Comments

  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    edited December 2012
    The Ti saddle is stiffer. Although the strongest steel is stronger than Ti. Ti however is tougher at high temperatures. Reason why Ti is preferred is because of it's high strength to weight ratio. Ti does not resist shock like steel does, so that's probably why you feel more comfortable on the steel railed saddle.
  • Raffles
    Raffles Posts: 1,137
    Applying the same chain of thinking, I suppose riding a steel framed road bike is like riding on crushed velvet then ?
    2012 Cannondale CAAD 8 105
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    TakeTurns wrote:
    Ti is stiffer.

    Really? I though titanium was a more flexible material. Not that it's going to make a great deal of difference on saddle rails, it depends more on how it's designed.
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    Ti certainly isn't flexible. It's brittle. Steel just absorbs shock better. Excuse my poor wording in the first post. :)
  • Raffles
    Raffles Posts: 1,137
    so a combination of a steel railed saddle and carbon seatpost, would that make a backside a very happy camper ?

    say for example steel railed san marco rolls and fsa carbon post ?
    2012 Cannondale CAAD 8 105
  • Gizmodo
    Gizmodo Posts: 1,928
    Raffles wrote:
    so a combination of a steel railed saddle and carbon seatpost, would that make a backside a very happy camper ?
    say for example steel railed san marco rolls and fsa carbon post ?
    What about this Storck SP185 Ultra Comfort and SP210 Comfort seatposts?
    Summer - Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Team
    Winter - Trek Madone 3.5 2012 with UDi2 upgrade.
    For getting dirty - Moda Canon
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    I urge you to stop ridiculing materials science.

    To the OP, no, the Ti rails have nothing to do, the problem, if any, is elsewhere
    left the forum March 2023
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    TakeTurns wrote:
    Ti certainly isn't flexible. It's brittle. Steel just absorbs shock better. Excuse my poor wording in the first post. :)

    Stop before you maker a even bigger fool of yourself!

    It's probably due to the fact that one has been ridden more than the other? Even modern saddles require breaking-in.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    I'm sure Monty is right. I've got four Rolls saddles - two steel, two titanium. The most comfortable is the oldest - a 93 steel rail. The second most comfortable is the second oldest - a 95 titanium rail. The worst is the newest - an 03 steel rail. I can feel by pressing with my thumbs that the oldest saddle has the most squidgy feeling while the newest is the firmest. I don't reckon the material of the rails has any effect, other than significantly decreasing the weight for the titanium.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Yeah, I've got 4 Rolls as well, 2 steel railed and 2 titanium (honest...) and I can't say I've noticed any difference in any of them.
  • Raffles
    Raffles Posts: 1,137
    do you think with mileage and usage that my new titanium would be as easy on the sitbones as the older steel is ?
    2012 Cannondale CAAD 8 105
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    I think it's worth persevering with the titanium to see if it becomes easier on your sitbones. It may be that the foam padding will soften up a bit and conform to your shape better.

    I don't think the material of the rails has any effect. I also have a Brooks B17 steel on my tandem and a Brooks B17 titanium on my tourer. The titanium is the more comfortable (better even than the Rolls) but I think that's because it's done a higher milage than the saddle on the tandem and is therefore better broken in.
  • Raffles
    Raffles Posts: 1,137
    would softening break in mileage up for a rolls saddle typically be intergalactic (because of the thick leather) or fairly quick ?
    2012 Cannondale CAAD 8 105
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    The leather cover on a Rolls is very thin - nothing like a Brook - and probably doesn't have any effect on harshness. I have occasionally treated the cover with Proofide or similar. I think the foam padding under the leather will soften up a bit with use and conform a bit better with your sit bones. However, all my Rolls saddles seem to have slightly different softness of the foam - possibly down to manufacturing variance.
  • ascurrell
    ascurrell Posts: 1,739
    Did you try it the other way round. Ride the steel railed saddle first then Ti.
    If you had a sore backside then got off the bike took the time to change saddle I suspect you had stretched, changed positions a bit and eased any pain. Just a thought. I would liken it to stiffening up and stretching to ease any pain or problems.
    Are the saddles the same age, broken in similar. Good luck with whateve you go with.

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